Regional and Interregional Cooperation in Dairy Marketing

Abstract

CONSIDERABLE dairy marketing research work had been undertaken on a regional basis for a number of years prior to the enactment of the Research and Marketing Act of 1946. Interregional cooperation was begun on an effective basis between the Northeast and North Central States, starting at a joint meeting in Chicago on May 8, 1945 approximately two years prior to the first conference to consider regional projects under the Research and Marketing Act of 1946. The New England Research Council is an excellent example of regional cooperation which was started more than 20 years ago, and has continued effectively throughout this period in coordinating the dairy marketing and other research work of the New England States. In this organization, the opportunity was provided for an exchange of ideas and crystallization of plans at the annual meetings; through specialized committee assignments, and contacts with the Council Secretary. Because the Secretary also served as a representative of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, coordination was achieved not only between the 6 New England Experiment Stations, but also with B.A.E.-a most happy cordial relationship of the highest degree of cooperation. Many projects have been undertaken cooperatively by the state workers and by the Secretary of the Council on behalf of the various states. Another example of regional cooperation in the Northeast is that of the Northeast Dairy Conference, which provides for joint action on dairy problems, with special emphasis to the problems of Cooperatives serving the dairy industry. The work of the dairy marketing research men of the Northeast has been closely coordinated with the work of various committees of this Conference. Committee problems have included those of uneven milk production; dairy price plans, including the problem of parity prices; milk distribution efficiency, including trends under wartime conditions involving every other day delivery of milk on retail routes. In this latter phase of work, for example, a coordinated study was made to